staring at an empty room
by like-lions
Summary: so daddy ran off with little miss perfect; at least we've got each other.
1. i woke up today

**a/n:** hello again, dear readers. this is my first _switched at birth_ story, and hopefully the first multi-chapter fic that like-lions successfully finishes.

fingers crossed.

rating is for swearing and general adult themes; don't worry, this story won't be written in all lowercase.

title is borrowed from kelly clarkson's, "i hate myself for losing you."

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><p><em>what do you do when you look in the mirror<br>and staring at you is why he's not here?  
>what do you say when everything you said<br>is the reason why he left you in the end?  
>how do you cry when every tear you shed<br>won't ever bring him back again?  
><em>_**i hate myself for losing you—kelly clarkson**_

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><p><strong>staring at an empty room<strong>, or "_not_ _another teen pregnancy story; damn you, _"

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><p>"Ugh. Fuck me," Bay Kennish said, staring down at her once flat stomach. Now there was a small bump growing in its place, confirming her worst fears.<p>

_I'm pregnant, _Bay thought to herself before falling hopelessly on her bed. This wasn't a shocker. She had her suspicions when three pregnancy tests came up positive. And when she started throwing up. And when her periods mysteriously disappeared two months ago.

So she was in denial.

But with good reason, certainly; just six weeks ago Bay had fought with Emmett over his feelings for Daphne. In a fit of psychotic (and now somewhat explainable) rage, she told him that she knew he was fooling around with Daphne behind her back.

It wasn't like she was just grasping at straws. Daphne had directly threatened to win Emmett's heart back, and with their history, Bay was almost positive that she didn't stand a chance.

Six weeks later Emmett was "trying things out" with Daphne and Bay was coming to terms with her pregnancy. She hadn't even spoken candidly with him since they broke up. How was she supposed to tell him about this?

"_Hey, Emmett! How have you been? Haven't spoken to you in a while. Remember that time that we slept together? Well, I do. Especially since I have the evidence hidden in my loins; see you in seven months, Daddy!"_

For some reason, she doubted that he would take it well regardless of how she broke it to him. And Daphne—she was going to lose her shit and be convinced that Bay did this on purpose.

As if Bay was just dying to give up her high school career, reputation and future just to spite Little Miss Perfect.

_Fuck. I'm screwed,_ Bay thought, putting her hands on her stomach. It was surreal the way that her fingers felt running against her growing form. It wasn't very visible yet, but Bay knew that she didn't have much time before her _condition _became obvious.

_No guys, I swear. I'm just getting fat!_

"I just want to die here," Bay said, moving her hands from her stomach to cover her face.

"Well, you can't die just yet," a voice from the door said. "Dinner's ready. Mom made spaghetti and Dad brought home carrot cake. Not that you will be getting any of that, mind you. I already called dibs."

_Carrot cake. Gag. I hated it even when I wasn't pregnant. At least this kid and I have something in common, _Bay thought.

"Cool, I'll be down in a sec," Bay said, pushing herself off of the bed. She quickly caught a glance in the mirror to make sure her shirt didn't hug too tightly before heading downstairs.

Let the games begin.


	2. woke up wide awake

a/n: hello again. here's a new chapter. also, fyi, story alerts are cool, but reviews are even better. even the little ones. i'm not going to withhold chapters from you, but really, though.

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><p>Bay walked in on a happy conversation. Something about Daphne's spectacular achievements at one of her basketball games.<p>

_Of course._

"Hey sweetheart, we were worried about you," Kathryn Kennish said, standing up to greet her daughter. "You've been locked up in that room all day. Is anything wrong?"

_Yes. Everything. My life, my friends, my family, my body—everything is out of control._

"No, no," Bay said, taking her seat at the table next to Toby. "I'm just feeling a little under the weather, that's all."

"Oh, well we could take you to the doctor to get it checked out. I'm sure they'd be happy to squeeze us in whenever we'd like," John Kennish said, a cocky smile growing on his face.

It had been a month since the Kennishes won their lawsuit against the Mission Hills Community Hospital. They had won a cool $3 million along with a written apology from the chief of directors. John Kennish said that the latter was all he was looking for, but the $3 million definitely softened the blow.

"No," Bay said, her voice jumping two octaves. "No, I think I'll just wait it out a while."

"You sure? Like I said, I'm positive that we could get an appointment whenever we'd like."

"Positive," Bay said, eager to change subjects. "So, Daphne, I heard you won your game against Andrew. How was it?"

Daphne looked up at Bay, a smug look on her face – the Kennish family glare must have been genetic.

"It felt good," Daphne said, moving her spaghetti around on her plate. "We _won_."

_Bitch, I don't really care. I was just being polite, dammit._

"But it was nothing compared to after the game," Daphne said, suddenly feeling like talking. "Emmett took me out to the pier and we skipped rocks and ate cotton candy."

Ever since Emmett decided to "try things out" with Daphne, she had a smug sense of self-importance.

_You only have him because _I_ decided to let him go._

"Huh, sounds fun," Bay said, rejecting Daphne's ploy to rile her up. It hadn't actually bothered her before. She never minded the way Daphne flaunted Emmett in her face after their break up. That's the great part about being the instigator of a break up – almost no broken heart.

So she missed him a little.

_A lot._

None of it compared to the feeling she got in the pit of her stomach knowing that she had a viable reason to be with Emmett.

_Other than her never-ending thoughts about him and the picture of the two of them she kept under her pillow._

The tension in the room was obvious, the only sound to be heard was the gentle scraping of fork against plate.

"So!" Toby said, breaking the silence. "Who wants carrot cake?"

Everyone relished the moment to break the awkward silence. As the rest of the table got up to get cake, Bay kept seated, knowing she would gag at even the smell of its cinnamon scented batter.

"Bay, do you want some?" Kathryn said, holding out a plate.

_No, no, get that thing away from me._

"No, I'm fine. I'm not really hungry," Bay said. It wasn't a lie; she had devoured two hefty servings of spaghetti and meatballs.

_Damn cravings._

"Oh, c'mon sweetie," John said. "You loved carrot cake when you were little!"

False. She liked it because her parents liked it and she was desperate to please them – to fit in – when she was little. It was like she knew even then that she didn't belong.

"No thanks, rea—" Bay tried to say before John put the plate in front of her.

The dainty cream cheese frosting, the cinnamon smelling inside, the…carrot chunks.

It made her want to…

_Vomit._

Before that point she didn't even know she could run that fast. She cried in between waves of half-digested spaghetti and meatballs.

_This is so gross. I can't do this for another seven months._

She was so wrapped up in her own disgust that she barely noticed her parents waiting outside the bathroom door. Her mom was ready with a warm cloth to wipe Bay's mouth clean, just like she did when she was six and had the stomach flu. Her dad had a concerned look on his face and a phone in his hand.

_Fuck. He was taking her to the doctor._

Once she was finished (or as finished as she could be), she got up, washed her hands and mouth and confronted the concerned parental unit.

"It must've been a tainted school lunch or something," Bay said, trying to act okay with her eyes deceiving her. "I'll—I'll be fine."

_Are they gonna buy it?_

"I'm calling the doctor, I'm going to schedule you for an appointment tomorrow," John said, walking away to make the call.

_No._

"Sweetie, is there anything wrong? Really, you can tell me," Kathryn said, putting her hands on Bay's shoulders.

She felt bad lying to her, but she couldn't tell her now. If she told her, she would tell John, John would tell Toby, Toby would tell Daphne and Daphne would tell Emmett.

Emmett was smart, he'd put the pieces together and he didn't deserve to find out that way.

So she cared about him.

_Whatever._

"No, no," Bay lied. "Nothing's wrong. I promise."

_Another promise I can't keep._


	3. in an empty bed

**a/n:** hi there.

The next morning wasn't any better. The feeling of waking up alone had been unbearable since she found out how it felt to wake up with someone else next to you.

_So I'm not entirely alone. That's not the point._

Bay and Emmett had fun together. A lot of fun. Like, having a baby together fun. They had been protected, they used a condom, were careful to do everything right. But obviously, they hadn't. And oddly enough, Bay didn't regret a thing. Sure, having a baby at sixteen wasn't the best case scenario for her life, but…

It wasn't the worst.

_Right?_

Now Bay was racing against the clock. John had scheduled her for a doctor's appointment at six, and Bay was smart enough to know that it meant she had eight hours to tell Emmett the truth before the her parents found out.

_Easy enough._

She quickly showered and got dressed, determined to get to Emmett's house early and tell him right there. No games, just the truth.

Unfortunately for her, Daphne told Regina what happened the night before. All of it. The bitter standoff _and_ the praying to the porcelain gods.

Naturally, Regina assumed the worst.

"Bay!" Regina called after her as she tried to get into the car. "Bay, I'm glad I caught you."

_I'm not. I'm kind of on a time limit here, lady._

"Daphne told me about the—"

"The Jesse James-esque confrontation or the gag-worthy stomach bug?" Bay said, trying her best to act natural.

"Both," Regina said, looking empathetic.

_Oh god, if you're there, please don't tell me she knows. I'll do whatever you want, I'll go to church more often, I'll stop—I'll _try_ to stop cussing as much, just please. Please._

"And I just wanted to tell you that I'm always here if you need me."

_She knows. She's being vague, but she knows._

"Look, Regina," Bay said, trying to play it cool. "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong, I'm going to the doctor tonight, everything is just fine."

_Lie number one._

"Well, I just want you to know," Regina said, gesturing towards Bay. "I'm _always_ here for you."

"That's really sweet, but I'm just fine, and everything is going great. But I'll keep that in mind," Bay said, opening her car door.

_Lies number two and three._

"Okay," Regina said, skepticism evident in her tone. "Where are you headed off to?"

_Should I tell her? No._

"Just a friend's house," Bay lied. "I'll be back soon."

_And lie number four. Great, I've turned into a politician._

"Okay, well, see you later," Regina said, before walking away. "Just remember, I meant what I said. Even if you don't think you need my help."

_Thank god that is over._

The drive to Emmett's house wasn't a long one. Ten minutes tops. It made Bay start to wonder about how they would work out the whole "teenage pregnancy and later actual, vulnerable infant" thing.

_I can't think about that right now. I need to focus on this right now._

Bay hadn't signed since she broke up with Emmett, but she thought that this special occasion was worth looking up how to sign a few new things. Hopefully knowing the signs for "I'm pregnant, and you're the father" would prevent her from having to play charades to get the point across.

When she got to the house, she parked outside and tried to get up the courage to go inside. She didn't see Melody's car, so that was a good sign.

Melody never liked Bay, and she definitely wouldn't like her after she found out that she was going to be making her a grandmother so soon.

Finally, after ten minutes of idling outside of his house, Bay got out of the car and rang his doorbell. Within seconds, he answered, as if he was waiting for her.

_Makes sense, I was parked outside of his house for the past ten minutes slamming my head against the damn steering wheel._

"I saw you outside. What's up," Emmett asked in a friendly tone. She wasn't expecting him to be nice to her. Not after the way she treated him. But she was glad to see his half-smile for the first time in six weeks.

"I just wanted to come over here to tell you that," Bay signed as clearly as she could. "I'm pregnant, and you're the father."

Silence.

_Maybe I didn't sign it right? Please let it be that._

"What?"

_Oh thank god._

"I said, I'm pregnant and you're the—"

"Yeah, I got that part. I mean what do you mean you're pregnant?" Emmett said, his signs getting bigger and more erratic.

_Oh shit._

"Two weeks before we broke up, we had sex," Bay explained. "I'm pregnant. I took three pregnancy tests and just look."

Bay lifted up her shirt and gestured to the growing bump on her abdomen.

Emmett took a step back and intently stared at the evidence. He didn't say anything; he just… looked lost.

_Say something. Or sign something, I don't know. Just give me a sign. Any sign of life._

"Oh my god," Emmett said, speaking up. It always caught Bay off guard when he did that. "You're serious?"

"Yes," Bay said, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She wasn't sure if it was the heat of the moment or the pregnancy hormones that made her emotional, but she couldn't hold them back. She burst into tears and he wrapped his arms around her.

_I didn't realize how much I'd missed that._


	4. staring at an empty room

**a/n:** new chapter just for you guys. i know it's short. **_you can get another one tonight if i get some more reviews, because they're like crack to me, tbh._**

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><p>They just stood there like that for a while. Bay didn't know when to let go and Emmett didn't want to. He would never admit it, but he had missed her. Dating Daphne was great, just like he'd imagined it to be. But it didn't compare to what he had with Bay. And this mistake—er, surprise, was the product of their love.<p>

It sounded cheesy, it sounded cliché, but he didn't care. He was already fully invested in this new direction in his life.

"I missed you," Bay said, between sobs. She couldn't contain it any longer; no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she wasn't over him.

_I'm not sure I'll ever be._

"I missed you too," Emmett said, holding her steady. He felt her body jolt against his with every wave of tears. He felt the tiny bump between them. For a while, he forgot that his mom was going to be home in a few minutes.

And when he remembered, he didn't care.

She was going to find out eventually. She had been ecstatic when Bay and Emmett broke up. She was convinced that Daphne was the right one for Emmett, especially after his pining for her over the course of eight years. This was going to throw her for a loop.

Bay was oblivious to this fact until she heard the front door open and Melody walk in.

"What's going on?" Melody signed to Emmett. The scene was questionable. Her teenage son consoling his sobbing ex-girlfriend on her couch. This wouldn't end well.

Emmett stood up, leaving Bay on the couch while he tried to explain it all to his mother. He looked at her as he got up, trying to get the "okay" to tell his mom about their _situation_.

"Mom, Bay is pregnant and I'm the father," Emmett said, getting right to the point. That was the thing about deaf culture that was hard for Bay to process. They were always so blunt, straight to the point.

"Are you sure it's yours?" Melody signed, turning herself to the side so Bay couldn't even try to see what she was saying. Emmett was glad she did. He didn't want her to know what she was saying about her. In her condition, she would probably start hysterically crying again.

"MOM! Yes, I'm sure," Emmett said, angrily.

"Well you don't know that much about her, she might be trying to trap you," Melody explained.

"No, that's not it. She wouldn't do that. You don't know her like I do," he said.

"Okay, whatever you say. But don't come crying to me when you find out that the kid isn't yours _after _you've thrown your life away," Melody said, walking away.

Emmett sighed and then looked back at Bay who had fallen asleep on the couch at some point during their argument. He was glad she did. He didn't want to have to explain his mother's reaction. He picked her up and took her back outside to her car, driving her home.

He couldn't help but think about how their lives would be after the baby was born.

How their life _together_ would be.


	5. i have myself to blame

**a/n:** new chapter yay

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><p>When Bay woke up, she was in her car with Emmett at the wheel. They were driving into her driveway. The last thing she remembered was Emmett getting up to talk to his mom about the…<p>

_Oh shit._

If Melody knew, than she would tell Regina who would tell John and Kath—oh, wait. She already knew. Or at least had a sneaking suspicion leading her to believe that perhaps, maybe, Bay might possibly be…

_Thank you, God._

"Welcome back," Emmett signed as he parked the car in her driveway. "You were out for a while."

"Not that long," Bay said, rubbing her eyes red.

"Well, just remember not to be late for our daughter's sixth birthday party," Emmett signed with a smirk.

_Cute._

"Ha, ha," Bay said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "So, how did your mom take the _news_?"

Emmett's smile began to fade, but he tried to keep it up for Bay.

"She took it like…she takes most things," Emmett said, opening his car door. "It'll be fine in a few days."

_Yeah, right._

"So how did your parents take it?" Emmett signed. She never told him, but she was sure he knew that she hadn't told her parents yet.

"They don't know yet," Bay tried to sign. "But I'll tell them. Eventually."

"So after the kid is born?" Emmett signed as he walked over to open the passenger's side door.

"Of course!" Bay said. "Actually, I threw up yesterday, so they're taking me to the doctor today. Would you like to come with?"

_Yeah, right._

"Sure," Emmett signed, nodding his head.

_What?_

"You were there when I told my mom, so I can be there when you tell your parents. Just so they don't kill you," Emmett signed, quickly. Bay didn't catch it all, but she got the idea.

_You. There. Mom. I. There. Parents. Don't. Kill. Got it._

"Are you sure?" Bay signed.

"Yes."

_He doesn't know what he's getting himself into._

"Should I tell them now? Or what until we go to the doctor?" Bay asked him. She knew the best option would be the former, but she couldn't help wanting another witness to her grisly murder, just in case.

"Now. You should tell them," Emmett said. Dammit. Why did he have to be right all the time?

_If my parents don't kill me, Daphne sure will._


	6. for the state i'm in today

**a/n:** reviews are sweet - by the way, i have almost all of the chapters leading up to the birth done

just waiting for a few reviews you know

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><p>After a couple of hours hiding out in her art studio, Bay and Emmett decided that it was the right time to tell the Kennish family about their unexpected "blessing."<p>

_That is not how they're going to see it._

The pair walked into the kitchen where John and Kathryn were unpacking groceries with the help of Toby and Daphne. Daphne glared at Bay when she saw Emmett by her side.

"What are you two doing together?" Daphne said, alerting the others of Bay and Emmett's presence. "I haven't seen you together since… well, you know."

To John and Kathryn, Daphne's words sounded like someone concerned for her sister. To Bay, it was like a dagger to the heart.

"We wanted to talk to you guys about something…" Bay said, sitting down and gesturing for Emmett to sit next to her.

They were about to tell them when Regina walked in clumsily. The look on her face made it obvious that Melody had told her what happened. Bay was prepared for the lecture right then, or for her to spill the beans about their _situation_.

But she didn't. She just played it off nonchalantly.

_So she is looking out for me._

"Oh, I don't mean to interrupt," Regina said. "I just wanted to come see if Emmett was here. Melody told me to come check, and he is, so I'll just tell her."

Regina tried to leave when John coaxed her to stay. "Hold on, Regina, Bay was just about to tell us something. You're her mother too, you should get the chance to hear it."

In the past few weeks, the relationship between the Vazquez and Kennish families had been thriving. John and Kathryn even invited Regina and Angelo to Sunday night dinner. It was all going great.

_Until now._

"Go on, sweetheart," John told Bay. She snuck a peek at Daphne's face. She was still glaring. Not only at Bay, but at Emmett, too. Bay looked back at Emmett, his face urging her to tell them.

"I'm pregnant, and Emmett's the father," Bay said, blurting it out. She just wanted to get it out. She didn't want to lie anymore.

Silence.

_Holy shit._

More silence.

Bay looked over at Emmett, and he was just as confused. He looked like it was just as shocking for him to hear the second time around.

"What?" A voice shot out. Bay didn't know who said it, the voice was ambiguously loud.

_Oh my god._

It was Daphne. Her face was turning beet red, and she was clenching her fists. She was fighting mad. Bay's natural response was to wrap her arms around her stomach, Emmett's was to pull Bay closer to him.

"What do you mean, Emmett's the father?" Daphne screamed.

Funny how she isn't surprised at the pregnant part, just the whole "Emmett is the baby-daddy" part.

"He is," Bay said, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible. "He is the only person I've ever been with."

Daphne kept screaming things inaudibly. Regina had to hold her to keep her from losing it completely. John looked shocked, Kathryn looked disappointed, and Toby looked like he didn't know what the hell was going on.

"He is _my_ boyfriend," Daphne screamed. "He is mine, and you are taking him away too, just like you took my parents, and my other friend. What's left for me? Huh? What's left for me?"

"Look, Daphne, I didn't mean to—" Bay said before being cut off.

"Save it," Daphne said. "And Emmett, how could you do this to me?"

_Oh god._

"It wasn't while I was with you," Emmett signed quickly.

_I don't think I can hold down the corn flakes I ate today._

"You know what, Emmett, you can pick her over me. But this friendship is over," Daphne said, running out the door.

_Just hold it together, Bay. Ugh._

"Daphne!" Regina called, running after her.

_Just a little while longer._

Silence.

_Nope. Can't hold it back._

Bay ran to the bathroom as quickly as possible, emptying the contents of her stomach into the bowl.

_This is even grosser than yesterday._

The tears came along with the vomit, but this time it wasn't out of disgust, it was the weight of the day on her shoulders. Emmett followed her to the bathroom and tried to help calm her down, but it was too much to handle.

When she was finished, she kept faux gagging. She didn't want to sit up and see the disappointed looks on her parents' and her brother's face. She just wanted to disappear. The only thing holding her together was the journey towards meeting the new life she was responsible for and a shred of hope that she could rekindle things with Emmett along the way.


	7. and now dying doesn't seem so cruel

**a/n:** hello again

i must have a soft spot for you guys. seven chapters before bed? ridiculous

i swear i am getting a contact high off of your reviews; they're really sparking my muse

so yeah end author's note enjoy review yeah okay

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><p>After the big reveal, Emmett decided to leave Bay to talk privately with her parents. Or rather, she told him to go. She didn't want him to have to hear the long, drawn-out lectures about the consequences of people's actions. He reluctantly left, but he said he'd text her.<p>

_And he did. All through the night. He was basically getting a play-by-play of the entire evening._

Of course, there was the generic safe-sex speech. All of that was in vain at that point, anyway, though. Then there was the speech talking about their options: parenting, adoption or abortion.

It wasn't that Bay had some sort of political agenda against abortion; she just didn't think she had the guts to do it.

Adoption didn't sit right with her, and her parents somewhat understood, considering their experience in the whole "having someone else raise your biological child" thing.

_Geez, give it break already._

And then there was parenting. From what Emmett had said, he sounded all for it. He preferred it over the other options. So there it was. They decided to parent their little boy.

_Or girl. Thing. It. Infant. Whatever._

What Bay wasn't expecting was the talk about respecting Daphne's feelings. Bay didn't hate Daphne. She had gotten over the immature, you're-stealing-my-parents'-love thing months ago. She just hated her attitude regarding Emmett.

_As if he was a prize that she had to win._

They told her to understand her point of view, try to be considerate and kind to her, respect boundaries, all that shit.

_Really._

Finally, the lectures were over and for a moment, everything was back to normal. Bay was laying on her bed texting Emmett.

**Emmett: **So everything is alright in paradise again?

**Bay: **Basically. After 3 hours of nonstop lecturing, I am back to living the highlife with my future baby and a stack of homework.

**Emmett:** It can't be that bad ;]

**Bay:** The baby part I can stand, the homework I cannot lol

**Emmett:** So do you think we're ready for this?

**Bay:** No, but I think we'll get better with time you know?

**Emmett: **Yeah it's just weird to think in 7 months we'll b parents

**Bay:** Ikr oh and my parents scheduled an appointment with the baby doctor for Thursday, you wanna come?

**Emmett:** I'll b there promise ily

_Wait. What? That must've been a typo. He must've been trying to type "Lily" and left out the "L." Oh, shut up, Bay, that doesn't make any sense._

Confused, Bay called Emmett via video chat.

"What do you mean I love you?" Bay asked.

"I meant I love you," Emmett said, laughing.

"You're dating Daphne," Bay said.

"Not anymore, and I never really wanted to be with her anyway. I wanted you. But you didn't want me and now that you do I want you back," Emmett said, trying to sign within the frame of the camera.

Bay didn't know how to react. Sure, this is what she wanted, and if they were having a baby together, it would be much easier to be together as well. But after talking with her parents about "respecting" Daphne and her feelings, it made it hard to respond.

"I love you too," Bay said, the tears coming back. Fucking hormones.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Emmett signed, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, sure, good night," Bay said.

"Good night."

_This boy will be the death of me_, Bay thought, falling back onto her pillows. She was about to fall asleep when heard the vibration of her phone.

**Emmett:** I mean it – I love you

_Yep, the death of me. That's for sure._


	8. and, oh, i don't know what to say

**a/n: **yep

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><p>The next few days were unbearable. Between mood swings, cravings, morning sickness and general changes in her body, Bay was becoming more frustrated by the day. And it was only the beginning.<p>

_This would be good._

John and Kathryn supported Bay's efforts to keep life moving after the news broke. John was generally upset at the fact that his daughter was having a baby at sixteen, and Kathryn hated the looks that she got from the other mothers at the health club when they found out.

Toby was almost oblivious to the fact that anything was different. He just went about his days like nothing had changed. Bay appreciated that fact – one person that wasn't tiptoeing around her like she was_ fragile_.

Daphne hadn't spoken to her since the Saturday when she told the family. It had been a good five days without a word.

_I'm not even sure she spoke to anyone since then._

Bay expected things to change if she got pregnant during high school. She just didn't expect so many changes _before_ the baby was even born.

Today, Emmett picked up Bay from school early so the pair could meet Bay's parents at the obstetrician. John and Kathryn insisted that they take Bay, but Bay pitched a fit and they ultimately agreed to let Emmett take her.

_Pregnancy hormones: 1, Kennishes: 0_

The first prenatal visit was one of the most important. Not only to confirm the pregnancy, but also to determine the due date and any obvious defects. Bay wasn't looking forward to the intrusive, awkward questions, but she was looking forward to seeing the ultrasound.

_The first time I get to see the little munchkin inside of me._

Emmett was just excited to be along for the ride – at home it was almost as if his mom forgot about the situation; the polar opposite of the Kennish house. The Bledsoe's were ignoring the problem, the Kennish's were accepting it. This would be the first time he would be able to bond with the baby at all.

_As if he was jealous of the fast-growing incubator I was becoming._

"So, you're here because you think you're pregnant?" Dr. Finnegan said, looking down at a clipboard. Emmett was anxious about the obstetrician being a guy, but he was the only obstetrician in the area who could sign, and Bay didn't want a translator to be present.

_The less people in the room, the better._

"Yes," Bay said. "I took three pregnancy tests and they were all positive."

"Ahhh, yes," Finnegan said. "Do you know the date of your last menstrual period." Bay's immaturity was clear as she shifted on the table to hide her laughter at his word choice.

_Grow up, Bay, you're going to be a mother. Get a damn grip._

"No," Bay said. "It might have been around two or three months ago? I'm not sure."

"Okay," Finnegan said, writing on his clipboard. "We'll just do an ultrasound to determine gestational age."

He pulled on gloves and began the exam. Soon after the ultrasound, he looked up.

"Yep, you're definitely pregnant," he said. "I'd say you're around 11 weeks. That would put your due date on February 28th, plus or minus a couple of weeks."

Emmett squeezed Bay's hand, coaxing her to turn around.

_Oh my god_, he mouthed.

"Now all there's left to do is generate the genetic history. We have Bay's records, now we just need to collect the father's. You're the father, correct?" Finnegan said, signing towards Emmett.

"Yes," Emmett nodded.

"Any history of illness in your family?" Finnegan said, copying a few things onto his clipboard.

"No, not that I know of. Both my parents are deaf, though. I don't know if that matters," Emmett signed.

"No, we don't list that as an illness," Finnegan assured. "But have you two ever considered the possibility of your child being born deaf? It wouldn't be that uncommon considering the circumstances."

Bay and Emmett looked at each other. They hadn't thought about having a deaf child before then. It wouldn't be a problem, considering Bay was picking up signing fast, and Emmett was fluent. The social stigma wouldn't be that big of a deal either, as they would grow up with a strong support system of ASL speakers.

_Especially if Daphne came around._

"We hadn't discussed it before, but I wouldn't have a problem with having a deaf child," Bay said.

Emmett nodded.

"The connection between genetics and deafness isn't entirely proven yet," Finnegan said. "But it's nice to know that you're starting to think about the possibility of raising a deaf child. Luckily for you, with one deaf parent, it shouldn't be any trouble to communicate."

Bay shifted in her seat. Sure, it wouldn't be difficult to communicate, but the thought of her child never hearing her voice bothered her. She wasn't sure if that bothered Emmett, but she could think of no reason why it would.

_He's never even heard his own voice. I doubt it matters to him if his kid can't hear it either._

Bay shook the thought out of her head. She was 11 weeks pregnant, and the only thing she wanted on her mind was dinner.

Dr. Finnegan finished the exam and sent them off.

"Good luck, and I'll see you in four weeks!" he said, opening the door for the pair. John and Kathryn stood up when they saw them coming out. They had opted to sit in the waiting room for the procedure. Rather, Bay didn't want them there, and Kathryn convinced her husband to let her and Emmett go on their own.

"They're going to have a baby together, John," she said. "You need to learn to trust them on their own."

"It was me trusting them on their own that got them into this situation," John said, reluctantly taking a seat in the waiting room chair.

Now the elder couple were ecstatic to hear the details of the appointment.

"_How'd it go, how far along are you, was he nice, did he speak ASL well, are you really pregnant?"_

It took plenty of reassuring before they were satisfied. "February 28th, that's a nice date. A February birthday," Kathryn said. "You know a lot of Kennishes have been born in February."

The rambling went on all the way out of the hospital doors. Things like, "Can you believe that in seven months we'll be walking out these same doors with a baby?"

"No, and I don't want to think about it," John said. He definitely wasn't going to be on board with the pregnancy until the baby was born. He hadn't even looked at Bay since she broke the news to them.

It wasn't until the foursome got out to the parking lot that Kathryn and John stopped talking for a minute at a time. Emmett was unaffected; a definite plus for being deaf.

"C'mon, Bay, let's go home," John said, gesturing towards the car.

"I think I'm gonna have Emmett take me," Bay said, looking at Emmett. He nodded in agreement.

"I don't think that's a good idea, hun," John said, his voice edgy. "Plus, doesn't Emmett live like ten minutes away, I don't think it's a—"

"It's fine, sweetheart, go on," Kathryn said, urging them on and shooting her husband a glance.

The older couple argued for a while, but Bay and Emmett were oblivious to it as they rode away.


	9. and i don't know anyway, anymore

**a/n:** i like you guys so i'm posting again

well that and i need some review inspiration to help me finish the 16th chapter

yeah i've gotten that far

* * *

><p>The third month had been hellish. First, the vomit began to subside leading Bay to believe that she was in the clear. Then, the peeing all the time came around.<p>

_Damn baby. Why must you grow on my bladder?_

It got to the point when she peed when she cried, laughed, and blinked.

"I swear this baby is playing tricks on me," Bay told Emmett. "They're just looking for a reason to screw with me."

Her stomach was more prominent now. It wouldn't be difficult to hide, but Bay wasn't into putting in the effort.

_I can wear my same clothes. Maternity clothes are for old people._

People began to talk, but the mean comments never stung. Bay was more irritated by the unwanted attention than the cruel remarks that came with it. Toby was in college, so he couldn't defend her in the hallways, but he could give the Kennish family glare to anyone who looked at Bay the wrong way when he picked her up from school.

But the worst part of the third month was Daphne. She wasn't handling the situation well at all. She went from not saying a word to Bay to talking about her all the time.

Somehow in the 60 minutes she was at Buckner three days a week she managed to spread even nastier rumors about Bay. And of course, everyone took her word for it, because "she's her sister, why would she lie?"

Emmett wanted to confront her about it, but Bay told him not to.

"_Don't give her the satisfaction."_

Emmett and Daphne weren't speaking anymore, which made Emmett sad though he'd never admit it. Bay could tell that he wished he had a close friend to confide in.

_She wanted Emmett and Daphne to be friends. She just didn't want them to be _more than _friends._

She couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for their lack of communication.

_Okay, so I'm the only reason._

Emmett told her it wasn't just this; that he had talked to her after their announcement and that she was uninterested and spiteful.

"I don't like that side of her, and it was coming out more. You weren't the only reason, I swear," he reassured her.

What Bay knew she was responsible for was the disconnect between Emmett and Melody. They lived in the same house, but whenever Bay came over (even for the shortest amount of time), it felt like a battlefield.

Lately, Melody's eyes had been transfixed on Bay's growing form. She would stare and then turn around, walking away. Bay understood. It was her that caused the rift between mother and son, a bond that should never be broken, blah blah blah.

No matter how much reassurance her mom and Emmett tried to pile on her, she couldn't not feel guilty about things.

_Everything._

The only person whose words got through to her at the time was Regina. She talked to her the week before, a time when Bay was feeling particularly apathetic.

"It's gonna be okay, you know," Regina said, sitting on the stoop next to Bay.

"It doesn't feel like it," Bay said, putting her head in her hands. "I think I've ruined everyone's lives. Including mine."

"No, no, don't say that," she said. "This entire situation has just made people more aware of their own insecurities, their own worst fears. They needed to face them at some point."

"Do you think I did the right thing?" Bay asked Regina, sweeping her own hair out of her face.

"The right thing about what?" Regina asked, faking ignorance.

"You know," she said, gesturing to her stomach. "Do you think I should have kept the baby?"

Regina paused for a moment.

"Do you?" Regina replied, after a few beats.

"Oh, don't give me that pseudo-philosophical bullshit," Bay said. "I think I did, but I can't help feeling like I've ruined everyone's lives with that decision.

"You can't worry about anyone else," Regina said, looking up. "It's you, Emmett and the baby now. It's your life. Does Emmett seem happy with it all?"

"He seems ecstatic, but I'm not sure if it's going to last," she said, scuffing her shoes. "I think he has a lot on his plate right now."

"And so do you," Regina said, rubbing the teen's head. "You two are going through the same thing, the same life-changing experience. Things might seem tough now, but they'll get better."

"Everything is changing," she said. "I didn't know it would change this much this quickly."

"Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, you know," the elder Latina said, running her hands through her long brunette hair. "Without change, we wouldn't be the people we are today. Change makes us stronger."

_Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right?_


	10. i hate myself for losing you

**a/n:** w00t

* * *

><p>At 16 weeks pregnant, Bay was ecstatic to have her monthly trip to the obstetrician. This week, they were going to try to determine the sex of the baby. At first, she was skeptical about wanting to know before the baby was born. And in Kennish family tradition, everyone had something to say about it.<p>

Kathryn insisted that knowing made it "so much easier to decorate, you don't just want a room full of yellows and greens, do you?"

John didn't have an opinion, but said that "not knowing Toby was a boy until he was born made it one of the greatest surprises of my life."

Grandma Kennish said that it was best to do things the "old-fashioned way – find out between the time the kid is fully _out_ to the time they spank his little bottom."

Grandpa Kennish said that it's best to "know what the baby is before you get your hopes up only for them to get crushed – like my dream of getting a boat."

Toby just wanted to know so he could figure out "whether to get it the pink or black Guitar Face onesie."

After considering their options, Bay and Emmett decided to find out. Emmett was positive that it was a girl, and referred to the baby as such. Bay wasn't so sure.

"_He kicks like a boy. It's either a boy, or a future female soccer player."_

The entire immediate Kennish-Vazquez family was waiting in the waiting room for the news along with Emmett's mother, Melody.

"_What'll happen if they can't tell? We just ship Grandma and Grandpa Kennish back to Minnesota?"_

Daphne wasn't interested in finding out, so she decided to spend the day with Wilke instead. The pair had gotten closer over the past few weeks. He understood her frustration and anger at both Emmett and Daphne.

"That's totally bogus," Wilke said, passing the flask back to Daphne. Sitting in construction areas getting drunk had become their thing. It wasn't exactly romance, but it was better than sitting in a hospital waiting to find out whether she had a future "niece" or "nephew."

"They would be related to you, though," Wilke said, like he was asking and stating it at the same time. "Like, you're sort of her sister, and he's kind of like your brother, I guess."

"No," Daphne said, sternly. "Neither one of them is related to me. I just happen to be living on Bay's 'estate.' It's all bullshit."

"So what's gonna happen when the baby comes?" Wilke asked, taking another swig of the bitter beverage. He stole it from his dad's liquor cabinet at work. His dad was always so wasted he wouldn't notice it was missing. "Are you just gonna ignore that, too?"

"I guess," she said. "Everyone's gonna think I'm a super-bitch if I do, though. It's not fair. I've lost _everything_ to her. My family, my friend, my boyfriend. I… _hate_ her."

"It wasn't her fault, though," Wilke said. "I doubt any sane teenage girl would get pregnant just to spite her sist—er, parents' biological daughter.

"I know, I just…" Daphne said, thinking intently. "Need someone to blame."

"Maybe you just blame yourself?" Wilke said, surprising himself. Becoming the voice of reason? Insanity. Becoming the voice of reason while intoxicated? Impossible. "You had eight years to make a move or show a sign and you didn't until you saw him moving on. That's kind of…I don't know, wrong, you know?"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Daphne said, looking up at the sky. The wood chips from the construction site looked so pretty as they floated around the blue sky.

"I like you, you know," Wilke said. "No lie, I do."

Daphne looked over at him. His eyes sparkled and his long hair looked amazing splayed out along the ground as he laid down.

He was right. She needed to find her own happiness.

_And she thought she found it._

Back at the hospital, Dr. Finnegan put a dollop of cold jelly on Bay's stomach. He pressed the wand against her stomach and she caught a chill.

"You okay?" he said, as he tried to adjust the monitor.

"Yeah, it's just a little cold," she said, leaning further into the chair.

"Yeah, you'll get used to it. It does feel weird, especially with these latex gloves on," he said, staring at the screen.

He turned on the speaker and the sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room. It was strong, constant reassurance that their baby was okay.

"So everything looks good," Finnegan said, signing to Emmett with his free hand. "Would you two like to know the sex?"

"Yes," they said, unanimously.

"Okay, you two have a healthy baby girl," he said, pointing to the fetus on the ultrasound monitor.

Emmett gasped, Bay was sure she would have if she had any breathe left in her lungs.

"She's so tiny," Bay said, finally getting the words out.

"Yep, most fetuses are," Finnegan said, cleaning Bay's stomach off and putting the monitor away. "Well, everything checks out, so I'll see you in another month. Feel free to call if you have any questions, and come in if you have any concerns."

"Thanks," Bay said, sitting up. She couldn't wait to tell their families.

Once they got outside, they were greeted by eager eyes. Bay decided to let Emmett tell them the news.

"It's a girl," he signed. Melody and Regina squealed in delight. Emmett was surprised at his mother's reaction. He hadn't seen her show that much reaction about the pregnancy until that point.

_Maybe it made it more real,_ he thought.

"Wait, what is he saying?" John said. It occurred to Bay that they didn't sign – or at least not very well.

"He said, 'It's a girl," Bay said, trying not to choke up.

"I knew it!" Toby said, standing up. "You owe me fifty bucks!" He gestured towards Angelo.

"Gambling, Toby?" Kathryn asked, rhetorically. "Today?"

"What?" he said, taking Angelo's $50. "It's a special occasion."


	11. i'm seeing it all so clear

**a/n:** yep last chapter tonight lovelies

* * *

><p>Bay was 18 weeks pregnant, and she was beginning to count it down as if the birth of the baby was like a bomb going off.<p>

_18 weeks have passed, twenty two weeks to go. We have to be prepared, we have to be ready, we can't be caught off guard, this little girl is a wily one, I tell you._

School was in full force, and in her junior year, that meant ACTs/SATs/ABCs or whatever. It didn't help that around the time of all of that shit, she was going to be expecting a baby. They planned to postpone it, but it wasn't helping her stress level.

In the past three weeks, Daphne had gone from spiteful to enjoyable.

_She's finally getting some. Thank god._

The first time she talked to her about the pregnancy was a week ago. Emmett was over and the pair were in Bay's room looking at baby name books. They were nominating and vetoing various baby names when Daphne walked in.

"I come in peace," she said, walking in with her hands up.

"Oh, hey, Daphne," Bay said, sitting up. She protectively placed her hands on her stomach. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting the past few weeks," she said, walking further into the room. "I wanted to tell you that I'm happy for you, and that I wish you the best."

Silence.

_Wow, she's being _really_ nice. Is she high?_

Emmett didn't seem interested in saying anything, and any other time, Bay wouldn't have been either. But something about the pregnancy made her happier.

"Apology accepted," she said, breaking the silence. "It's a girl, you know."

"Yeah, I heard," Daphne said, with a smile.

Emmett seemed shocked at their suddenly conversational tone. Just a week ago, Daphne had whispered something into Bay's ear that made her cry. He never found out what it was (it could have just been hormones), but he confronted her about it and she wasn't at all apologetic.

* * *

><p>"I just told her the truth," Daphne said, when he walked up to the Kennish guest house to talk to her. "She just needed to face facts, I was being honest."<p>

"Don't ever speak to her like that again," Emmett threatened. "You can be angry at me all you want, but don't treat her like that."

"Oh, so you're her protector now? Her big, strong, deaf boyfriend here to fix everything," Daphne said, anger present in her voice. "Too bad you never treated me like that."

"Do you not remember third grade?" Emmett said. "And every other time someone has said something about you? I've always defended you, I've always been good to you. Stop this _now_."

"Whatever, Emmett," Daphne said, walking off.

* * *

><p>Somehow in the course of one week, Daphne went from bitter and angry to calm and collect. And Bay in her moody state was accepting of her sudden change of heart.<p>

_What the fuck is going on?_

"I saw the nursery next door. It's really cute," Daphne said to Bay. The Kennishes with their millions managed to pull together a nursery out of a fairytale for their little girl. It hurt Emmett deep down knowing that he could never have given their daughter anything like it on his own. He made it a goal that he would eventually pay the Kennishes back for everything they'd given him and his daughter.

_Eventually._

"Well, that's all I wanted to say," Daphne said, turning to leave. "Have a good night." Daphne was really leaving because she had a date set up with Wilke. But they didn't need to know that.

After Daphne left, Bay and Emmett were left to their original order of business: baby names. Or, more specifically, baby girl names.

"I don't feel like doing this anymore," Bay said, with a laugh. "Let's just lay here."

Emmett didn't mind that much. He had become fascinated with just looking at Bay since she started to show more and her hair got shinier. Suddenly her hair, skin and nails were runway ready without any preparation.

_Women's health; crazy shit._

Bay giggled and grabbed Emmett's hand. He was caught off guard until he felt her press his hand against her stomach and he felt it.

Like a butterfly fluttering or a cricket chirping, it was something almost unexplainable.

_And it made it all the more real._


	12. when you look in the mirror

**a/n:** hmm

* * *

><p>Twenty seven weeks down, thirteen left.<p>

At this point, Bay's size had almost doubled. Mostly in her stomach, but the extra fourteen pounds she was carrying were taking their toll.

Since making up with Daphne, Bay and Emmett hadn't talked about baby names. Mostly because every time they did it turned into a fight. This along with family's insistence on "helping" didn't make them want to pick out a name for her anytime soon.

So far, they had just been referring to her as "she, sprout or tiny." And while those were all cute for the time being, they were certain CPS would come after them if they named her any of the above.

Eventually they just decided to each come up with three names. Naturally, the rest of their family took that as an open invitation to each create their own three.

So obviously, this meant that Thanksgiving dinner was an open session to discuss their choices.

"What about Toby?" Toby asked as he piled mashed potatoes on his plate. "It's cute, and she could be named after her favorite uncle."

"Only uncle," Bay corrected. Emmett was an only child, and even counting the Vazquez', there were no surprise brothers coming around.

"Exactly," Emmett signed, laughing. He had gotten better at communicating with large groups of hearing people – and the Kennishes put forth the effort to talk slower and draw a bit more attention to the person talking.

"I still say you should name her after her great-grandmother, Abigail Kennish, what a lady," John said, fondly.

"_What a bitch_," Kathryn said, laughing at her slip of the tongue.

"A little too much vino, mom?" Bay asked?

"I thought you liked Granny Kennish?" John asked.

"I do, I do," Kathryn said. "She just really doesn't like me. Remember when she threw the cranberry sauce on me the first Thanksgiving I visited your family?"

"That was an accident, she has shaky hands!" John said.

"Okay, okay," Regina said, changing the subject. "I think that Grecia is a pretty name."

"Doesn't that mean 'grease' in Spanish?" Daphne asked.

"No, it means 'Greece' as in the country. Big difference," Regina replied.

"Well, whatever you choose, please, please, spell it correctly," Melody signed. "Nothing is my horrifying than a kid named Alizibeth spelled A-L-I-Z-I-B-E-T-H."

"Well there goes our first choice," Bay said, throwing up her arms.

After dinner, Bay thanked Emmett.

"You did really good with so many hearing people around," she signed.

"I think it's getting a little easier," Emmett replied. In all honesty, he felt obligated to fit in. They weren't just dating anymore. They were having a baby.

_A living, breathing infant._

He couldn't pitch a fit every time she wanted them to go to dinner with her family because he didn't understand. So he tried his best. He did think he was getting better at it, though.

"So really, what do you want to name her?" Bay asked.

"Are you gonna listen, or are you gonna shoot them down right away?" Emmett asked, a smirk growing across his face.

"It could go either way, honestly," Bay said with a laugh.

"I like Sabrina," Emmett said, sitting in one of the Kennishes dining room chairs. "Like the TV show. It seems cute. Sweet."

"Sabrina," Bay repeated.

She was silent for a beat until she nodded. "Sabrina. It fits. I like it," she said.

Emmett was shocked. Her face when he suggested Courtney was one for the record books: most horrified face related to one incident.

"Really?" Emmett asked. "That's what you want to name her."

"Yeah," Bay said, smiling. "Sabrina Bledsoe. It sounds nice."

She pulled him into a hug. It was getting harder to do with the bump growing between them, but it felt even more incredible.

"I'm sure it does," Emmett said, orally.


	13. and staring at you is why he's not here

a/n: do da do da do da i'm bored so new chapter

* * *

><p>At 32 weeks, it was suggested by Dr. Finnegan that they figure out their living situation post-delivery. Eventually, it was decided that it would be best for Emmett to move into the Kennish home, so Bay could be in a familiar place and Emmett could also bond with the baby. Since she was expected to come soon, they also thought it would be best for him to get accustomed to living there a while before the due date.<p>

Bay was happy to have him closer to her. He realized this meant many more trips to get snacks and other items for her at three a.m.

_She was so lucky he loved her._

Melody was not nearly as pleased. And that was understandable. She had just finalized her divorce and now her son was moving out.

_Not permanently. He was coming back._

But that fact didn't make it any easier. Living in an empty house didn't sit right with her, so she decided to stay in the Kennish guest house with Regina while Emmett was living with the Kennishes.

* * *

><p>Daphne wasn't as comfortable with this as she seemed, but she plastered on a smile and tried her best to act like she was. So she wasn't completely okay with Bay and Emmett being together.<p>

_She might never be._

She tried to use Wilke's mantra of "if you fake it long enough, the real feelings will come along eventually."

He was so full of shit.

If she didn't have him around to calm her down, she would have lost her shit long before the bedroom situation was a problem.

" _Calm down, Daph. You just need to move on – deep breaths, you know?"_

So she faked a smile and tried her best to avoid Bay and Emmett without being entirely obvious. Sunday dinners were one thing, but quality time with the happy couple was unbearable.

"Just two more months," she said to herself. "Two months and they won't be able to be all over each other at all hours."

Her heart just hadn't gotten the memo yet.

* * *

><p>Originally, the plan was to move a daybed into Bay's room for Emmett to sleep on. But after measuring everything out, it was determined that there wouldn't be enough room for that, especially when a bassinet was brought in next to the bed for easy access.<p>

So, much to the discontent of John Kennish, they allowed Emmett to sleep in Bay's bed.

"_What's the worst that can happen, Dad? I'm already pregnant."_

Weeks later, he still wasn't "okay" with the idea. But his heart was put at ease every time he walked past the room and saw Bay sleeping with Emmett's arms around her.

"_They'll be fine, he won't hurt her,"_ all of Katherine's words ran through his head.

Melody wasn't too keen on the idea either, but when Emmett explained that he would rather sleep on the floor than be a few rooms away from the baby, she folded.

_If she needs me, I need to be there to take care of her._

The "she" he was talking about was supposed to be their newborn daughter, but two days of sleeping with Bay Kennish proved he wasn't just going to be caring for Sabrina.

It was odd. In the three times Bay and Emmett had slept together before, she was always a calm sleeper. She almost never moved at night. She slept like a vampire.

An extra twenty pounds and a baby that refuses to sit still turned the formerly easy sleeper Bay Kennish into a wild dog thrashing about. She could never find a position she was comfortable with, no matter how many times Emmett tried to help her when she woke him up late at night.

"_Did you try laying on your side? How about the other one? Did you try leaning against me? Back against me? Okay, Bay, seriously, I don't think there is any other way to sleep."_

She was almost inconsolable. If he didn't love her so much, the sleeping situation would be enough to push him over the edge.

After three days and a total of six hours sleep, Emmett was on the edge. School was a nightmare, and teachers began asking him if the baby was already born.

"_No, but my girlfriend wakes me up six times a night, so it's probably worse than having a newborn around."_

Lunches with friends became sleep-deprived rants that barely made sense. He thought all the words through, but when he tried to execute them, he fell flat.

"Bay is driving me crazy, I swear this is probably worse than dealing with a newborn," became, "Bay newborn is crazy, I swear, worse probably."

Melody was concerned when she got a call from the school staying Emmett's once Straight-A's were dropping fast.

"What is your problem?" she asked him. It took her forever to catch him. Whenever he came home from school he ran up to Bay's room to pass out for a few minutes before she got home. "If you can't handle this, how can you expect to handle a baby?"

"I swear, this is worse than handling a baby," Emmett tried to sign. He was about three minutes from passing out, so they needed to make this quick. "And I just need to get adjusted. I've always been used to a solid eight hours a night and now I'm barely getting two."

"Do I need to tell the Kennishes that this isn't going to work out?" Melody threatened. "Because I told you that I wouldn't object to you having the baby unless it started to interfere with your schoolwork!"

"This is more important, mom," Emmett signed. "In less than two months, I'm going to be a father. Didn't you say being a mother was the most rewarding job of all?"

"That's just something parents tell their kids!" she signed, her motions getting sharper. "I will not let you throw your life away over this."

Emmett was tired. So he just took the easy way out.

"Yeah, okay, I'll get my grades up," he signed. "I'm going upstairs to sleep. Bye."

_You need to be going upstairs to do your homework, _Melody thought.

It wasn't easy. Nothing was going to be "easy" again for a long time.


	14. you got what you deserved

**a/n:** kewl

* * *

><p>At 37 weeks pregnant, Dr. Finnegan said that the fetus was fully developed and that she was ready to be born. Now it was just the process of waiting for her to make her appearance.<p>

Monday morning, Bay woke up moaning, convinced that she was having contractions.

_They're just Braxton Hicks, sweetheart, it happens to most every pregnant woman,_ Kathryn assured her.

Bay tried to fake sick to get out of school, but her parents insisted and she agreed with a catch.

_If I have my baby in a bathroom stall, it's your fault!_

Emmett was excited about the contractions. He would be – he wasn't feeling them, he just knew this meant they were closer to having their baby and closer to Bay not being a sappy, fragile doll anymore.

Not that he didn't care about her, he did. But _shit_, there is only so much a guy can handle before he loses it.

Bay pouted all morning as she grabbed her English muffin and headed out the door.

"Not much longer," Emmett signed.

"Thank god," Bay replied. Emmett kissed her on the forehead and she really wished he hadn't. She felt disgusting no matter how many times she showered.

"See you later," he signed.

Bay's dad dropped her off on a way to a quick game of basketball with friends, while Emmett's mom dropped him off on her way to work.

Everything was business as usual for Bay. Homeroom: the bitches in the back whispered about how big she had gotten, Trigonometry: the bitches in the back whispered about how big she had gotten and finally Physics, where the bitches _and the jocks_ in the back whispered about how big she had gotten.

It wasn't until third period English that she realized something wasn't right. The cramping continued and she kept time on the clock above the classroom door. Every five minutes.

_Shit._

She thought she could handle waiting until the bell rang to go to the nurse's office, but she realized she couldn't wait when she felt a minor gush in her nether regions.

_Holy shit, did I just wet myself? This is fourth grade all over again!_

She then realized nope, this isn't pee, this is my water breaking.

_Shit._

She raised her hand and called the teacher over, whispering in her ear. She helped her get her things and get out of the classroom to the nurse's office as discretely as possible.

As discrete as you can get with a small puddle left in your chair.

It didn't take long for the word to spread around the school. By the time her mom came to pick her up, she already heard two girls whispering about it at their lockers.

_Ten minute must be record time._

She would have been mortified if she wasn't in so much pain.

Kathryn called Melody to let her know that the baby was on the way. It didn't take long for Emmett to get tapped on the shoulder and alerted that he was getting called out early for a "family emergency."

He wasn't sure whether to be excited or scared.

When he got out to the car, he was greeted with a wave of signs.

"Bay's water broke at school, Kathryn's rushing her to the hospital now, that's where we're going."

"Is she okay?" Emmett signed.

"I think so," Melody signed. "Probably a little frazzled."

The fifteen minute drive felt like an eternity, even with Melody's aggressively fast speed.

When they got there, Melody let Emmett out of the car to go check on Bay. When he reached the receptionist desk, he first began signing, than realized it would just be quicker to write it down.

"My girlfriend Bay Kennish is in labor I need to find her."

The receptionist sent him up three flights of stairs to another receptionist who he showed the same note to.

Finally, he found Bay's room. He was out of breath from running up three flights of stairs. He didn't want to bother waiting for the elevator.

"I'm here," he tried to sign, struggling to catch his breath.

"Emmett," Bay said, weakly. "It hurts."

"They gave her some pain medication and she is kind of out of it," Kathryn said, trying to speak as clearly as possible.

Emmett laughed. She was so sweet when she was doped up.

"It'll be okay," Emmett signed.

"Promise?" Bay asked.

"Promise," Emmett replied.

Five hours and six visitors later, Bay was only five centimeters dilated. Her pain medication was starting to wear off and she was thinking about getting an epidural to numb the pain. Both Regina and Kathryn had different stances on it.

Regina went through labor with Bay without one, and was proud of having done it. Compared to Kathryn that said she had gone through it with Toby, and that was reason enough to have the epidural.

Emmett had no say in the matter as he had passed out for a power nap before showtime. Eventually, Bay decided to go without and try it more naturally.

_If I regret this, I'm blaming you, Regina, _Bay thought.

Two hours and one centimeter later, Bay decided it was the right time to discuss the issue of the baby's birth certificate.

Sure, the mother and father would be easy, but the maternal grandfather and grandmother would be a different can of worms.

"Well, Bay, you're our daughter in our hearts and by law, so it would make sense for you to list us as her grandparents," John explained.

"But the grandparents may have certain rights that can't be extended to other family members, and we'd be her blood," Angelo said.

"Okay, okay, guys, I don't think grandparents have any rights unless both Emmett and I die, so I don't really think it's that important," Bay said.

"Well, there's only two spots for the four of us, so who do you choose, Bay?"

"Don't drag me into this," she said, pulling her hair back further.

The tension in the room was thickening when Daphne showed up.

"Hey," Daphne said, gesturing to Emmett. "I heard you left school early, but I didn't put two and two together until now. How is this going?" She gestured towards the hospital bed and wires.

"Good, the doctor says we'll probably have a baby sometime tonight," Emmett said, pride evident on his face. Melody noticed this.

She wasn't originally pleased to hear the news; she was angry and felt betrayed, like her own son was leaving her prematurely. She said some harsh things and it took a while before Emmett forgave her for them. She had moved on from those feelings since then and was just excited to meet her first (and hopefully only, for a while) grandchild.

"And how are you?" Daphne asked Bay.

"Well right now I'm in limbo between pregnant and no longer pregnant, so it's a pretty sweet adventure."

Daphne and Bay laughed together for a moment. It was odd for John and Kathryn to see; they hadn't seen them be this friendly with one another since… ever.

And it was strange for the two girls, too. Daphne was surprised that her dumb boyfriend's mantra was starting to work, and Bay was surprised that Daphne wasn't having a full meltdown at her realization of the situation.

So they didn't have the typical sisterly relationship. They didn't have the typical "sister" relationship to begin with.


	15. hope you're happy now

a/n: do you even read this or

oh and i'm not adding dirty details of birth in here cause let's be honest it's not cute

epilogue coming soon

should i do a sequel to this i don't know if i should

* * *

><p>She was inconsolable for two hours, cursing Regina for lying to her, cursing Emmett for doing this to her and cursing the doctor for not making it go faster.<p>

"We're moving at a normal pace," Dr. Finnegan said, shaking his head. "It's normal for a woman's first labor to go on for a while. It'll be over soon."

Fucking liar. Liar wearing a red and white tie for Valentine's Day.

"_Fuck Valentine's Day, this hurts."_

Most of the family tried to talk her through the contractions, but Daphne opted not to. Bay didn't blame her. She knew she wasn't "over it" yet. She didn't have time to focus on Daphne's pouting, though.

"_Giving a human being life, here!"_

For two hours she suffered through the contractions, silently screaming every time the doctor said she had only progressed one centimeter at a time. Finally, she made it to 10. She hadn't even started pushing yet and Emmett's right hand was numb.

_Safe to say she wasn't the only one happy to get the process moving faster._

After an hour and a half of pushing and screaming various obscenities, a cry filled the room.

"It's a girl!" Dr. Finnegan called out, placing the newborn on Bay's chest. She hardly noticed the white blotches and goop covering the tiny baby's body through her tears.

"You can cut the cord if you'd like to," Finnegan told Emmett, handing him the scissors and pointing to wear to cut.

They quickly took the baby to the opposite side of the room for cleaning, leaving Bay and Emmett stunned, relieved and sobbing. She didn't mind the cameras flashing, capturing the happiest moment of their lives. She didn't mind that her hair was in a messy ponytail on the top of her head, she didn't mind that her forehead was sweaty and covered in tears, and she didn't mind that her eyes probably looked like a horrifying mixture of sleep deprivation and salty tears.

None of that mattered anymore.

Sabrina Genevieve Bledsoe was born on February 13th, at 6:30 P.M, weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 21 inches long. She had black hair and blue eyes.

And she was _perfect_.


End file.
